Where on the rainbow are you? ... by Sarah

One of the most amazing things about taking part in Not Going Shopping is being able to talk about identity with people from such diverse backgrounds and across different generations. I could spend a whole weekend talking about what labels mean now, what they meant back then and what they might mean in the future. Anyway, I came across this quote after the workshop on Saturday just passed and made a drawing of all the people I like (not including the special place in my heart for people who can fix bikes).

What I love about being queer is the ability to grow and transform my sexuality. The recognition that our sexualities are complex and ever evolving, just as every other part of us, is a blissfully freeing thing. Regardless of anything else in the entire world, I am not bound by anyone else’s rules beside my own. Queer is freedom, possibility and space.-Kim Crosby, Toronto

Photos Postering Space Search ... by Luc

One of the outcomes planned for Not Going Shopping is to display posters on public walls around Brighton & Hove.

Over coffees and teas at Cafe Delice in the North Laine, the group discussed how this would look and how the participants would go about locating some postering spaces. The general agreement was that the images would be displayed in non-central, non-tourist spaces about the city; places that were not necessarily associated with any queer culture or lifestyle or venues.

I suggested that we take on chosen areas of the city to peruse and locate suitable walls. These would be photographed by the participant - and located on Google maps - in order for folk at QinB partners, Photoworks to liaise with the relevant Council admin person re the logistics and permission for postering in the chosen locations.

My chosen area was Tarner - because I am an allotment gardening volunteer for the Brighton Unemployed Centre and Families Project located in the area; I visit the Centre on a regular basis to use its facilities plus eat lunch there. I also 'spotted' a couple of other poster-able walls: on my journey from Seven Dials home district down toward New England Street - as I volunteer for Mind in their office on that street; in the London Road area, an above-eye-level wall space viewed through a busy surgery's stairwell window... 

A photo video ('assembled' in iMovie) charts my wall space search in these areas:

What Not Going Shopping means to me ... by Sarah

When I contacted Anthony to take part in this project, I just knew how much I love photography and how I missed the workshops I did at the Evolutions Art Centre ages ago. I write daily, sometimes for love & art and sometimes for money, so I already had a creative computer-based practice. It was amazing to leave that behind a little and start working offline more and even though I am glad that we`ll have more sessions than planned, there are already a few really good things that I know I will take away from this:

Being queer can be challenging and even heart-breaking, but its also a chance to develop a unique way of looking at the world creatively. I love being part of this community and I really, really value its creative potential and diversity.

Taking self-portraits has been a revealing journey for me. Like many queers, I have always had a rather complicated relationship with my body and don`t like having my picture taken. Constructing images that show me and reflect a part of me without displaying my face or my body in a way that puts my appearance up for debate (I chose to wear a wide black dress in all my pictures) has been empowering for me. I might have always been critical about the way women are portrait in popular media, but I never had a chance to think so much about the way all elements of a picture are there for a reason. Being alone with my camera and tripod has really sharpened my senses for these issues and I am currently writing about self-portraits as feminist practice for my blog themindfulvoyage.com.

I am really glad that Anthony encouraged us to explore our artistic freedom so much. I never felt that I was supposed to produce pictures of happy clappy queers dancing in the sunset at Brighton beach. Learning from the others in the group has been an amazing influence on my work. Not just because the creative approaches have been great, but also because I gained insight into lives and perspectives I wouldn’t have touched in my everyday life.

Finally I think this project has brought a lot of discussion about the healing elements of a creative practice and its influence on our identity into my life. Even though I have always written and had work of mine published for the first time more a decade ago, it took me a really long time to claim the word “writer” for myself, especially now that I am living in a culture that operates in a language that isn`t my own. Its the same with being an artist – for anyone else I feel that as long as someone is creating art, they are an artist. Maybe that`s true for all of us, including me. I have written down “artist” among other things in a “what are you doing with your life?”-box for the first time ever.

24 hours ... by Harry

Taking part in Not Going Shopping has been like climbing a step ladder and seeing the patterns of your carpet with new light streaming through the windows. My perspectives on queer have been rewoven with new and stimulating thread and a revitalised coat of many colours now hangs in my closet. Wonderful people have made my mind tumble and twirl with the added bonus of many preconceptions and labels being left at the door. I am queer, I really am here and on this occasion I am not going shopping.

I left the last session feeling inspired by the quality of work and some of the photos here are my homage to the honesty, beauty and brilliance I saw displayed.

My life is threaded by an ever changing musical landscape and one of my current obsessions is the Scott Walker infused yelp of Daughn Gibson. He sounds as good as he looks and last night I had the delight of being up close but not quite as a personal as my fantasies would like.

When I returned home energised and still buzzing I logged on to one of the many dubious sites I use to see what was cooking in the Brighton & Hove kitchen. My approach is to send out lots of lines in the hope of hooking something good enough to eat. It's rare that these late night rummages lead to anything but tonight a young gentleman I've been chatting to for months suddenly seemed keen so I sped into town. He was reluctant to have photos taken but I managed to get these. I know it's depraved but I particularly like the semen still glistening on his belly. Hell awaits...

Monday dawned bright and sunny and filled with the vigour of my recent liaison I headed to London for the day. These were taken on my walk to the station.

The Pompeii exhibition exceeded my expectations and I was deeply moved by it. No photos allowed sadly but I never tire of the beauty of the Sir Norman Foster designed Great Court. If only all buildings could be so well conceived.

The train journey home was relaxing and I took the time to catch up on some reading. I took this picture of the reversed reflection as I boarded.

I took a different route back to my car when I left the station and came across more stickers, street art and a stunning passion flower in full bloom.

I use the car to listen to new records and at the moment 'Immunity' by Jon Hopkins is on high rotation. Sometimes and often unexpectedly music will hard wire into me and produce a euphoric or strong emotional response. On the journey home 'Abandon Window' had the hairs standing on my arms and tears pouring from my eyes. I felt my mother strongly and the music exactly tracked the pain that can surface like a river of sorrow. When I reached my drive, I took these portraits.

You can listen to the piece here if you choose to -

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/sc1IkYwKCtM%26source=uds%26autoplay=1

My home is my sanctuary and tonight the most beautiful of sunsets once again danced over my haven of peace.

Savour the light,
the shapes she draws.
Painted prism textures,
and a 1,000 blessings.

Jai Guru Deva OM